Masks to be required in Oregon’s outdoor public settings

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — People in Oregon, regardless of vaccination status, will once again be required to wear masks in most public outdoor settings beginning Friday. That includes large outdoor events where physical distancing is not possible. Health officials say part of the reason is that they’re seeing instances where cases are clustering around outdoor events, such as music festivals. Gov. Kate Brown announced the outdoor mask mandate Tuesday. Oregon is one of a handful of states with an indoor mask mandate already in effect. However, according to the governor’s office, Oregon is the first to reinstitute a statewide mask requirement for outdoor public areas where people are close together.